//------------------------------// // Chapter Three: Enticement // Story: CRISIS: New World Order // by GanonFLCL //------------------------------// Twenty-one years ago, when Rarity had first visited this world, and after she had left the ghastly city to the north and started her way down south with her friends, she had been absolutely disgusted and appalled at the state of the earth around them as they went. It had been lifeless and barren, with nothing more than dust and dirt and hardly as much as a weak breeze to give her or her companions any sense of comfort or courage. Applejack had hated it the most. “An affront ta nature,” she’d called it, and Rarity was inclined to agree. So naturally, seeing these same fields again covered in several feet of snow and plagued by fierce, piercing winds that threatened to freeze her to the bone if not for her warm coat was quite a different experience in every way Rarity could imagine. When the group had a moment to rest and eat and thus weren’t moving at a quickened pace, Rarity took the time to check that there was honest-to-goodness grass beneath that snow. It was dormant grass, to be sure, but grass nonetheless. Life had come to the northern lands. But that little detail was nothing compared to the difference she noticed when the group made their way up and into the Redblade Mountains the morning after a full day of travel in the snow. Sundial and Symphony had brought tents with them, though the tents were barely large enough for two each let alone three or four. Rarity noted that Symphony and Bluebolt seemed reluctant to share theirs, but relented when trying to fit four ponies—particularly Flurry, who was just a little too tall—in one tent proved impossible. Bloom shared with them, incidentally. At any rate, when Rarity had been to the Redblade Mountains last, they’d been perpetually active volcanoes. The blazing heat had been unbearable, only prevented from being dangerous, no, deadly because of Twilight’s magical, temperature-controlled barrier, and yet even then it had still been unbearably hot. Not to mention that the route was entirely made up of horribly uneven rocky terrain with the danger of molten magma everywhere they looked, and that smoke and ash filled the air and threatened to choke them even under their protective bubble. The funniest part about it was that Tick Tock had said these mountains were relatively safe compared to the rest of the Wastelands, and much quicker to boot. Twenty-one years later and the volcanoes were dormant with not an ounce of flowing lava in sight. The uneven slopes had had time to smooth out, forming natural pathways and trails through the mountains for travelers to pass through with relative ease. It was still hot and humid around the mountains, of course—just because the volcanoes were dormant didn’t mean they weren’t filled with molten rock—but not unbearably so. In fact, because of the winter snows it was actually somewhat pleasant temperature-wise, like a warm spring day. Weather-wise, however, it was not quite so pleasant. The heat of the volcanic mountains melted the seemingly perpetual snowfall long before it hit the ground, creating a never-ending torrent of rainfall instead. Rarity was completely certain at this point that she preferred the snow to the rain, at least in her current attire, but there wasn’t much she could change into. Luckily, three of the ponies in the group were capable of using magic to shield them from the rain, as umbrellas were likely to be taken up by the still-harsh winds and be more of a hindrance than a help. Rarity had learned the proper spell after her previous adventure here, and though she was no Twilight Sparkle and couldn’t shield everypony at once, it was good enough. Since there were six of them, they had to share barriers so as not to overexert anypony. Bluebolt and Symphony—who Rarity was completely convinced were more than just a princess and her bodyguard and more than just friends at this point—shared one together, and stayed at the center of the formation as they scaled the mountainside. Apple Bloom and Flurry Heart shared another, taking up the rear. So that left Rarity to share with Sundial at the head of the party, seeing as she herself had actually been here before. Yes, even if the terrain was totally different, and even if she hadn’t made it all the way through to the other side, and even if it was so long ago that she didn’t remember too many details, she was still the closest thing the group had to a secondary navigator. As they crested another rise in the trail, Sundial paused to get her bearings and scope out the terrain ahead of them. She didn’t say much to anypony, just kept trekking ever onward with due diligence and a professional demeanor. Rarity wasn’t sure if she should be glad or not that Sundial was keeping quiet. She rather wanted a partner to speak to, as the others behind her were doing, but then again, this was Sundial she was talking about. She marveled how even Tick Tock, at her most caustic, was still more polite than her replacement. Still, curiosity had finally gotten the better of Rarity, and she couldn’t help but try to clear the air a little with a question. “So, Sundial, you said that we’re going to a kirin settlement in these mountains, correct?” Sundial clearly hadn’t been expecting Rarity to engage her in conversation, and gave the older unicorn a sidelong glance of confusion. “Aye? Why are ye asking me that now?” “Well, if you don’t mind my asking, what are the kirins of your world like? Compared to ours, I mean. I’ve only met a few back where we’re from and they seem rather nice, but I know your world’s griffins and zebras are much different from ours.” Sundial gave a little shrug. “Och, they’re pleasant enough, I suppose. Friendly, ye could say. More in touch with earth and rock than soil and trees like yers would be though, seeing as how they live in these mountains rather than any forests. There aren’t any forests up north. Not yet, anyway.” “Ah, well that’s an interesting difference,” Rarity hummed. “When you say ‘in touch with earth and rock’, though, what do you mean?” “They farm ore and rocks from the mountains ta sell ta travelers, or what few they get anyhow. They’re excellent smiths, too.” “I see. Hmmm.” Rarity hoped Sundial would perhaps open up a little more or give her some more information, but she seemed content to just give a few straight facts and leave it at that. Unperturbed, Rarity pressed again. “So, how much further is this settlement?” “Why, are ye getting tired o’ walking already?” Sundial grunted, not even bothering to look at Rarity this time. “It’s too early in the day ta be asking ‘are we there yet’, aye? Just keep yer knickers on, we’ll be there sooner than ye think.” “That’s not what I meant, darling,” Rarity snorted back, now regretting the decision to push for more conversation. “I just wanted to get an idea of how deep into the mountain range they are, that’s all. We never managed to get across these volcanoes the last time I was here, but Tick Tock made it sound like the range wasn’t particularly large.” “Hmmm… alright, fair enough. We’ll be making camp at the top o’ one o’ the larger mountains up ahead,” Sundial said, gesturing towards the horizon and further into the mountain range where one mountaintop poked up higher than the rest. “From there it’s not much further ta the settlement, aye? We’ll be there before tomorrow night, so don’t ye worry, ye’ll be able ta take a load off those pampered hooves soon enough.” Rarity’s eye twitched. Even when giving information and being helpful Sundial was still unnecessarily rude. However, Rarity composed herself. “Is this the only kirin settlement in these mountains? Is it large?” “For now it’s the only one, aye, but it’s not really that big. There are maybe a hundred or so kirin living there? They haven’t had time ta expand much further out inta the mountains.” “Really? But they sound like their settlement is relatively common knowledge for travelers and traders, the way you explained it.” “Aye, but they mostly stick ta themselves otherwise, so I don’t know how long it’ll be before they start exploring the mountains or making agreements with Hope’s Point or anything like that. Probably won’t be 'til after I retire at the rate they’re going.” “So the only interaction they have with ponies is when travelers come through?” “Aye, that’s basically it fer now, nothing too fancy.” Sundial glanced around and sighed. “Shite, I gotta get my bearings again.” She gave Rarity a harsh look. “Look, do ye mind giving me some space for a while? I’ve gotta keep navigating the trail, and it’s hard ta do with ye yakking my bloody ear off, aye?” Rarity narrowed her eyes. “Hmph. Very well, forgive me for at least trying to get some information. At least Tick Tock was—” “I’m not Tick Tock,” Sundial snorted, gritting her teeth. She’d come to a complete stop to wheel on Rarity, and the others behind stopped as well. “And I’d appreciate it if ye stopped trying ta compare me ta her, aye? I don’t go around comparing ye ta Twilight Sparkle, do I? Because if ye were even half the unicorn she is, this trip would probably be a lot easier than having a prissy lass like you along fer the ride.” Rarity wanted to give Sundial an equally indignant response, but that last comment had certainly cut deep. She knew she had Apple Bloom and Flurry Heart here with her, but they weren’t exactly close. She missed her friends. She missed her family. If Twilight were here, as powerful as she was now, they’d probably be home already. “Yes… it certainly would, wouldn’t it?” she sighed. She turned behind her towards Symphony and Bluebolt, then gave a slight look to Sundial. “Um… would you prefer it if we switched positions, then? Perhaps I should… just fall back a little, if I’m being a bother to you?” Sundial grunted. “Aye, that sounds good ta me.” She turned to Symphony. “Lass, would ye mind trading with Rarity for a bit?” Symphony raised an eyebrow, giving Sundial an expression as though she’d just been asked to eat glue. “Uh, look, you know I’m supposed to stick by the Princess—” “Och, ye won’t be more than ten feet in front o’ her, aye? Ye can get yer hooves all over her when we get ta the settlement.” Bluebolt set a hoof on Symphony’s shoulder. “It’s okay, songbird, I’ll be fine.” Symphony gave Bluebolt a sidelong glance, then rolled her eyes and stepped forward. “Fine, fine. Questo è ridicolo.” Symphony stepped forward and moved up beside Sundial, while Rarity stepped back to move to Bluebolt’s side. Once that was rearranged, Sundial started moving again, and the group got back to following her through the mountains. “I get the feeling she doesn’t like me very much,” Rarity muttered, not really looking at Bluebolt, her eyes transfixed on the back of Sundial’s head. “Yeah, well… she doesn’t like anypony very much, to be honest,” Bluebolt said with a slight grin. “Symphony and I are the only ones that really tolerate her, uh… well, Sundial-ness. Aside from some of the ponies at Goldridge, I think.” “I’m honestly curious as to why she treats the two of you with even the slightest amount of respect. What makes you so special to her?” “Well, we just go back a long way, I guess? Symphony and I met her when we were around… nine? She’d just finished up the training for this job of hers, and my mom and dad took Tick Tock and Pewter with them on a little vacation down south to celebrate Tick Tock’s retirement. I dunno… I guess we just wanted to be friends with the cool, older mare?” “That doesn’t really explain a whole lot about why she’s the way she is, darling, if you don’t mind my saying?” “Right right, I mean, she’s just… I guess there’s a lot of pressure on her?” Bluebolt scratched her chin briefly. “My mom and dad told me about what happened. About you guys and Tick Tock saving the world and all? And Tick Tock might have mentioned that she went through a lot making that work out.” Rarity paused. It was coming together now. “I think I understand. I understand rather well, actually. She’s afraid she won’t live up to Tick Tock’s legacy?” Bluebolt tilted her head. “Eh… I don’t think she’s worried about doing that, actually. I think she just gets pissed when other ponies that know about it expect her to. Or, maybe just expect her to want to?” She shrugged. “Look, I’m not Sundial, I can’t exactly spell it out for you as well as she could… and I’m not my mom, so I’m not gonna psychoanalyze her to give you an answer.” Rarity noticed Bluebolt’s tone change slightly in that last thought. But she didn’t pry, not now. Time to change the subject. “So, you and Symphony have been friends for a long while, then?” “Oh, yeah. She’s only a month older than me, but we’ve been side-by-side pretty much since we were born. My parents and her parents are pretty good friends and old business partners too. Her dad served on my mom’s council for the last twenty-five years. He only just retired a few months ago.” “Well, that sounds wonderful. I didn’t know your mother had that many friends besides… besides Gadget and Crossfire, and Briarthorn of course. At least that’s how she made it seem. Not like your father.” “You’d honestly be surprised at all the things my mom probably didn’t tell you,” Bluebolt chuckled. Rarity laughed as well. “Actually, I don’t think your mother keeping more secrets than necessary would surprise me at all. Your father kept their relationship a secret for so long and so well that it actually caused a bit of drama for me and my friend Fluttershy.” “Oh yeah, my dad mentioned something like that. He’s still sorry about it, by the way.” Rarity paused briefly. “Your mother isn’t still upset, is she? I know she said—” “Oh no no, it’s all water under the bridge, I think. I mean, I’m here, right? My mom is totally confident that my dad and her are solid, or they wouldn’t have had kids. I don’t think even the end of the world would’ve stopped her from making sure of that.” Rarity smiled. “Well, good.” She took a moment to glance ahead at Symphony, then gave Bluebolt a coy grin. “If I might be bold enough to ask… are you and Symphony an item? Or is that a secret like your mother and father’s relationship?” Bluebolt turned a little red. “Oh, it’s not exactly a secret. We just don’t go advertising it around much, is all. Well, at least I try not to. Symphony’s a bit bad about doing the opposite sometimes. She likes to make sure other ponies know she’s my fillyfriend and vice-versa even when nopony asks.” She smirked. “Especially when nopony asks. I think she just does it if she feels threatened, I dunno.” “Well, you two make an adorable couple, if I might say so. It’s certainly quite romantic, isn’t it? Two childhood friends? The princess and her bodyguard? Rather like a lady and her… her knight…” She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, pushing those thoughts down. It wouldn’t do to bring that whole debacle up right now or to get distracted by those sorts of thoughts. Zircon could wait. “I know your father had a cute little nickname for your mother. Let me think… ‘BB’, I believe?” Rarity eyed Bluebolt carefully. “Is ‘songbird’ yours for Symphony?” Bluebolt turned a brighter red and cleared her throat. “Um… yeah, that’s right.” “Is there a special meaning behind it?” “Well, her special talent is singing, y’know?” Rarity gave a knowing grin. “Songbirds typically only sing for one pony. I take it that’s the case here, then? She’s your songbird?” Bluebolt smiled, and apparently found the ground very interesting to look at. “I guess you could say that, yeah…” The group stopped suddenly at the top of the next crest in the trail when Symphony pointed off ahead. “Hey, look! More travelers. I didn’t think there’d be any this time of year, besides us crazy ponies, especially out in the mountains.” The group gathered together to see what Symphony had noticed. Rarity glanced off ahead of the path, then narrowed her eyes at a most peculiar sight, exactly as Symphony had described: two figures moving through the mountain pass ahead of them, looking none the worse for wear despite no magic to shield them from the rainfall. Sundial squinted. “Aye, more travelers indeed, and they’re coming this way? Hmm. Don’t they know the thunderblizzards are gonna hit the western Expanse by tomorrow night?” “Maybe they’re lost?” Bluebolt suggested. “These mountain trails aren’t exactly marked, and it’s hard to see the sky and stars to navigate by at this time of year.” “Well, if they’re lost, we’re going to try and help them, right?” Flurry asked, a shy smile on her face. Sundial glanced at Flurry incredulously, then looked back towards the unknown travelers. “We’ll see. We’ve got enough delays ahead as-is and I don’t want ta worry about us getting caught in the thunderblizzards because we’re helping a couple o’ walnuts that can’t figure their way through the mountains, aye?” The group waited a few moments for the two travelers to make their way along the trail towards them, and as they got closer they could see that these travelers weren’t ponies, but two kirin, one male and one female. The male had a dark red coat underneath his dirt-colored scales, and a long, flowing gold-and-orange mane. The female’s coat was dark orange, her scales charcoal-gray, and her short, wavy mane a dirty blonde. Neither wore any clothes like the ponies present did, so the rain rose up off their scales in small puffs of steam the moment it touched them. Rarity noticed that, unlike the kirin of her world, these two had horns that were long, singular, curved appendages made of what looked like black crystal that glowed ever so slightly, visible even from this distance. The male’s horn was longer and straighter, coming to a sharp, singular point at the tip, while the female’s horn had a pleasing, wavy curve to it, though it was still sharp. The two kirin approached with smiles once they caught sight of the group standing and waiting ahead of them, but didn’t quicken their pace one bit, keeping a pleasant gait the entire way. The male greeted them first, when they were close enough to be clearly seen and heard through the rainstorm. “Hello there!” he said, his voice peppy and cordial. “Sure is coming down today, isn’t it?” Sundial gave a short nod. “Aye, that it is. Who might you be?” The male smiled and offered his hoof towards Sundial. “My name’s Kauldron, ma’am. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss…?” “Sundial,” she replied, taking his hoof and shaking it in a businesslike fashion. Rarity couldn’t help but think if it would kill the mare to be cordial. Sundial turned slightly to the female. “And you are?” “I’m Krystal,” the female said, offering her hoof as well. Sundial shook her hoof too. “Don’t see many kirin outside o’ the settlement, aye? What’re ye doing all the way out here, especially out in this rainstorm?” Kauldron tilted his head slightly, giving an embarrassed grin. “Funny story, actually! We were on our way back towards the settlement after seeing if we could find any good ore to use, but we got sidetracked and lost track of time. We’re trying to make it back before they serve dinner.” “Towards the settlement? Och, ye’re heading the wrong way in that case.” Sundial pointed off in the direction the kirin had come from, which was the direction she and her group were supposed to be heading. “That way’s west, aye? The settlement’s about a full day’s walk that way if ye stick to the trails. No chance at dinner tonight, sorry about that.” “Oh, yeah, but that’s if you’re taking the surface trails,” Kauldron said with a polite nod and a coy grin. “Forgive me if this sounds bold, Miss Sundial, but we kirin are pretty knowledgeable about the tunnel networks around these mountains, probably a lot more than any of you ponies are. We’re not lost, I can assure you.” “There a shortcut just a mile back down the way you came, actually,” Krystal added, gesturing behind Sundial. “You probably missed it because, well, you’re not kirin. You’d have to already know it was there.” “But we’re getting ahead of ourselves! Sorry about that. It’s rude of us not to greet the rest of your company.” Kauldron then turned to Rarity next and offered his hoof politely, a friendly smile on his face. “Pleasure to meet you! I’m Kauldron. And you are?” Rarity smiled and took his hoof. He seemed friendly enough, certainly more so than Sundial was. “I’m Rarity, and the pleasure is all mine, Mister Kauldron.” Introductions went down the line until everypony and two kirin were acquainted with one another. Everypony generally seemed to agree that these kirin were friendly and probably knew their way around the mountains better than they did. Sundial cleared her throat as if to move the conversation along. “So, uh, ye say there’s a shortcut we missed just down the mountain behind us here, aye? And it leads through some tunnels under the mountains?” “That’s right,” Kauldron said with a friendly nod. “Typically only kirin use it because we’re the only ones who know where it is. It cuts straight through the mountains all the way to the village. We use it all the time. Would you like us to show you where it is?” “You’d be to the settlement by nightfall!” Krystal added, her grin wide. “Plus, there’d be no rain for you to worry about.” Rarity smiled and nodded. Getting out of the rain so she could relax her magic was definitely high on her list of priorities. “That sounds simply divine right now, truth be told.” She turned to Sundial expectantly. “We are taking them up on the offer, aren’t we Sundial?” Sundial gave Rarity a brief, indignant look, then turned back to Kauldron and Krystal and nodded. “Aye, I’ll never turn down a chance ta save a wee bit o’ time, not when we got thunderblizzards nipping at our arses.” She stepped aside, taking Symphony with her under the latter’s barrier magic, and gestured towards the path they’d just come up. “Lead the way then, if ye would?” Kauldron smiled and nodded. “Sure thing! Come along then, it’s not far.” The kirin started their way down the path, and the six ponies followed behind them, retaking their order with Sundial and Symphony immediately behind the two kirin as they retraced their steps. Sure enough, only a mile or so down the trail they’d just come up, there was a short pathway that climbed up towards a small crag on the mountainside. When the group had passed by it earlier, they hadn’t paid it much attention because Sundial didn’t pay it much attention, but Kauldron and Krystal just hopped over behind it to show that there was indeed a tunnel opening heading into the mountain. “There we are! One shortcut, as ordered,” Kauldron said, gesturing inside with a flourishing display of his hooves. “You folks just stay behind me, okay? These tunnels get a little twisted sometimes, and if you don’t know the right way you might get lost. Earthquakes rearrange them all the time, y’know?” He headed on into the newly-revealed tunnel, and Sundial and Symphony followed behind him, then Bluebolt and Rarity, then Bloom and Flurry, and finally Krystal. The unicorns dismissed their shields before the group shook off the bit of wet in their own manes and coats, then moved to follow Kauldron while Krystal took up the rear. Rarity couldn’t help but think that things certainly had improved since the last time she was here. Redblade had gone from active, dangerous volcanoes to harmless mountains with convenient underground tunnels, and was inhabited by friendly kirins to guide them as well. This whole situation was certainly looking up, and thank goodness it was. ***** The group hadn’t been walking through the tunnels for very long when a thought bubbled up into Sundial’s head that she just couldn’t get rid of, no matter how hard she tried. As her job required her to be observant about all the different creatures and places that had been changing over the years, she couldn’t help but notice something just a little bit odd about Kauldron and Krystal. “Kauldron, if I might ask ye a question?” she asked, stepping up alongside him as they walked. Kauldron nodded, giving her a polite smile. “Sure thing, Sundial! What can I help you with?” “Yer horn.” She gestured towards the black crystalline appendage. “It doesn’t look like any kirins’ horns I’ve ever seen before, if ye don’t mind me saying so. A bit o’ curiosity that is, aye?” “Hmm? Oh, the horn! Yes, well, Krystal and I are from a different clan than most of the kirin from the settlement. We just visit them for trade and such, but we don’t actually live there. Our clan lives in a smaller settlement a long, long way north of here.” “Huh… I didn’t think there were any other settlements…” Sundial muttered. “Your clan’s horns look rather lovely, Mister Kauldron,” Rarity said with a pleasant grin. “I’ve got an eye for quality gems, you understand, and your horns remind me of some rather high-class gems I’ve seen before. Sort of like obsidian, actually, but with a little glow to it. They’re certainly pleasing to the eye.” “Well, thank you very much Miss Rarity,” Kauldron said with a grin. “I appreciate the compliment. I suppose it’s polite to give a compliment in turn, so might I say that your mane is just the most lovely shade of purple I’ve ever seen?” Rarity chuckled. “Well, thank you, darling.” “I didn’t even know there were other clans of kirins, ta be honest,” Sundial said, pulling out her pocket watch. She twisted a dial here and there and tapped on the face. “This is worth cataloging, aye?” “Cataloging?” Kauldron asked. “Och, it’s my job ta try and gather details on all the changes in the world since the Beacons fell, aye? Lots o’ ponies and other creatures would like ta have that kind o’ information.” “Wow, that’s neat! Well, how much do you know about kirin?” “Ta be honest, not so much. I don’t get out this way more than once every few years. I’ve only been ta the settlement two or three times since I started. Ye wouldn’t be interested in giving me a wee bit o’ help, would ye?” Kauldron smiled. “Well sure! Tell you what, you seemed interested in my horn earlier. Would you like to know more about kirins’ horns?” “Aye, that sounds useful, now that I know there are more than one clan and their horns are different.” “Well, we kirin take great, great pride in our horns. They get their colorations and style based on the sorts of materials around the area where the kirin was born. So, the kirin of the big settlement have those silvery, metallic-looking horns because there’s a lot of big iron deposits underneath them. My clan lives further north, near a big obsidian deposit, so that’s why our horns look the way they do. “Now, not every kirin’s horn is the same though, not like you unicorns,” he continued, gesturing briefly towards Rarity, Symphony, and Flurry. “Unicorns generally have horns that look the same. Kirin horns are all unique though, kind of like how you ponies all have a different cutie mark. They don’t mean anything like a special talent, of course, but kirins take great pride in what they look like, and how they use them.” “Aye? Well, that’s new information ta me, that is. The settlement kirin seemed a lot less proud o’ them. Humble, actually.” Kauldron smiled. “Well, that might just be how their clan is. I know that the kirin in my clan consider their horns an extension of their souls. They’re very protective of them too. Why, just touching our horns the wrong way is considered offensive, in case any of you got any ideas,” he added with a wink. They continued winding their way through tunnel after tunnel, cavern after cavern, until it started to seem like they were wandering around in circles. It was getting quite warm, too, almost uncomfortably so. “Mister Kauldron, you’re certain this is the right way?” Rarity asked, wiping her brow of sweat. “I’m afraid I haven’t been keeping much track of time but it feels like we should be making progress by now.” Sundial grunted. “Are ye always this impatient? It hasn’t even been two hours yet. We’ve got another three or so hours left before we get there at the rate they said it would take. Nightfall’s a while off, aye?” Kauldron turned and gave Rarity a reassuring nod. “I’m absolutely certain, Miss Rarity, don’t you worry. You’ll get to exactly where you need to be in no time. It’s just a little further, I promise.” Krystal giggled from the rear of the line. “In a few hours, you guys’ll be sitting pretty eating some home-cooked kirin meals and resting your hooves. You’re going to love it!” As they continued walking, Apple Bloom pushed ahead just a bit in the formation to come up alongside Sundial. “Hey, Miss Sundial? Can we talk a minute?” Sundial grunted, not turning to face Bloom, but she wasn’t bothered by the other mare’s presence, not like with Rarity. “Sure, lass, what is it?” “That earth pony that we fought in the cave… uh, Two-eighteen or whatever he was called? Well, I got ta thinkin’, an’ I’m worried.” “Worried?” “That thing he did, where he could sorta just, uh… I dunno, move through the shadows 'n' stuff? I’m pretty sure I heard mah brother-in-law talk ‘bout the whole adventure that brought him 'n' mah sister tagether, an’... an’ how he lost his leg. He said that the pony that did that ta him could move just like that.” Sundial was given pause, then took a deep breath. “Aye, I know. Tick Tock told me about him when I reviewed the whole ‘incident’. She… wasn’t exactly happy talking about it, aye? Don’t tell anypony, but she still has… y’know what, nevermind, that’s not my place ta tell ye.” Bloom hesitated. “I know what ya mean. Flathoof sometimes… remembers things. AJ says sometimes he just wakes up in the middle o’ the night…” She let out a breath. “Princess Luna used ta help him out e’ry now 'n' then, at least 'til she retired.” “Aye?” Sundial asked, genuinely concerned. “Hmm…” “Yeah…” Bloom cleared her throat. “Well, anyway, I was thinking, an’… look, I know you 'n' me didn’t wanna just leave that pony there ta die, but are ya sure that it was a good idea?” “Lass, I can’t tell ye one way or another if that was the smart thing ta do, but do ye think it was the right thing ta do?” Bloom thought for a moment, then nodded. “Yeah. I ain’t the sort o’ pony that’d just let somepony else die when I got the chance ta save 'em.” “Then what does it matter if it was smart or not, aye? If ye think it was the right thing ta do, then ye just gotta stick with that decision, no matter what happens.” “Right… okay.” Bloom sighed, apparently not entirely pleased with the answer. After another hour or so walking through more and more passages, the group passed through yet another tunnel and entered into a wide open cavern with a low ceiling. The cavern had no exit. “Hmm? Oh dear, a dead end,” Rarity muttered, biting her lip. “Mister Kauldron, I thought you said—” “That you’re exactly where you needed to be, yes,” Kauldron said, his smile turning into more of a psychotic smirk. “Krystal!” Without warning, Krystal hopped forward and grabbed Flurry Heart, who was closest to her at the back of the pack, and pressed her horn against the alicorn’s in one swift series of movements. Flurry let out a loud, panicked cry of pain, and her horn glowed bright white for an instant then went completely dark. The light was absorbed into Krystal’s horn, which then gained a slightly healthier glow of its own. Flurry collapsed to the floor in at most two seconds. Krystal stood protectively over her in a predatory combative stance. “Ha! Too easy.” “Flurry!” Bloom shouted. She glared at Krystal, settling into an aggressive stance. “What’d ya do ta mah friend?!” Krystal bared her teeth in a sadistic grin. “She’ll be fine. She’s just taking a little nap, sweetheart.” “Shite!” Sundial sputtered, wheeling on Kauldron. “Ye bloody—” She narrowly avoided Kauldron ramming his horn straight into her chest, flapping her wings to gain altitude and swerving her body out of the way as he charged at her. Symphony turned to Bluebolt, eyes narrowed, teeth clenched. “Get behind me!” she shouted, drawing both of her swords in one swift motion. She pointed her blades at Krystal. “Back off, puttana!” Krystal, seemingly unintimidated by the words or the display, stepped towards Symphony, but not too far away from Flurry. “Or what? You’re going to poke me with your scary little sticks?” “Oh, I’ll do a hell of a lot more than that!” Before Symphony could move, Bloom reared up and charged towards Krystal, slamming her shoulder into the kirin just like she had done to Two-eighteen before. The impact was enough to knock Krystal staggering a few feet over, but not knock her down. Bloom, however, stumbled back from the impact, gripping her shoulder in pain. The kirin’s scales were more solid than they looked, and they looked pretty tough already. “Ha! You’ve got spunk, kid!” Krystal chuckled, rolling her shoulders. “I’m gonna enjoy playing with you.” “Bloom, just get behind me and stick with Bluebolt!” Symphony said, taking a step forward to put herself between Bloom and Krystal. “I’ll handle her.” Krystal bit her lip and smiled. “Aww, but I was gonna have fun.” “Yeah, but now I’m gonna have fun.” Meanwhile, Rarity ignited her horn and her magic latched onto Kauldron’s rear leg as he turned back towards Sundial, making him lose his footing briefly. He shot her an angry glare, but it distracted him enough to let Sundial swing in and slam her hoof into his side. She recoiled as her hoof impacted his hard scales. “Bloody hell!” she swore, landing and glaring at Kauldron. “The hell are ye scales made of?” “Do you like them? Only true kirin have scales as hard as solid rock,” Kauldron snickered, swiping his horn through the air at her. His horn grazed her leg as she darted away, drawing blood. “You’re going to need to do better than that.” “I don’t know what yer problem is, twat, but ye picked a fight with the wrong ponies, aye?” she spat. “Hmph, it doesn’t really feel that way,” Kauldron laughed, gesturing towards her bleeding leg. “The only one of you that even seems to be a threat is the young one with the sticks.” “Take this, then!” Rarity shouted, grabbing a small, nearby rock with her magic. She threw it at Kauldron’s head like a bullet. He turned just slightly so that the rock impacted his horn, shattering the rock into tiny bits. He didn’t seem worse for wear at all, as if his horn had completed absorbed the impact of the blow. Kauldron smirked, tilting his head mockingly. “Like I said, you’re just not a threat to a true kirin.” He leapt at Rarity, horn first. Just before his horn impacted hers, Sundial grabbed the back of his head and yanked back. He still slammed right into Rarity, but missed her horn with his, merely knocking her to the ground instead of whatever had happened to Flurry. “You’re no fun, Miss Sundial!” Kauldron cackled, throwing his head back in an attempt to impale her with his horn. She merely let go and flew back up to avoid him, landing defensively in front of Rarity. “Ye can just piss right off, arsehole,” she snorted as she checked to make sure Rarity was okay. “Yer fight’s with me, aye?” “Ooh, that’s where you’re wrong, sweetheart.” He gave her a brief grin, then turned to Rarity, who was groaning on the floor. “You just sit tight there, Miss Rarity, I’ll be back for you in a moment.” He swiftly turned and sprinted towards Symphony, moving like a rocket. “Oy! Get back here!” Sundial blurted, too preoccupied with Rarity to move quickly enough. “Symphony! Look out!” Symphony, meanwhile, was busy trying to land a blow on Krystal, who was proving nimble enough to avoid most of Symphony’s strikes. A few blows glanced against her tough scales, but it didn’t seem to have much of an effect. However, thanks to Sundial’s warning, she noticed Kauldron approaching her at a quick pace. She briefly diverted her longsword in his direction, swinging at his horn as he charged while still trying to stab at Krystal with her rapier. Her longsword impacted his horn with no effect whatsoever, merely scraping across it like it was made of solid steel. But more than that, the magical field she held the sword in completely fell apart the instant his horn touched it. Her weapons both dropped to the ground without her to hold them up, leaving her defenseless. It happened so fast that Symphony didn’t have time to react when Kauldron rammed into her side, horn first. She screamed in agaony as his horn tore into her midsection, the impact of the charge knocking her several feet back into the nearby wall. “Songbird!” Bluebolt cried. “Symphony!” called Bloom. The two of them quickly ran to Symphony’s side. She was still conscious, but barely, and was bleeding profusely, clutching her side in pain. Her horn ignited and covered the wound in a weak glow as she tried to stop the bleeding, but the glow was dimming fast. “Aha! And now the only threat is dealt with,” Kauldron said, his grin widening as blood dripped down his horn and covered his face. He licked his lips as some of it trickled down. “Don’t worry, she won’t die… yet. But she’ll suffer, oh yes indeed.” “You bastard!” Bluebolt shouted, twisting the dial on her hoof attachment all the way up to the maximum level. She leapt at Kauldron to come crashing down, hoof-first, onto his head. He leapt back just enough to avoid her. He clearly didn’t expect her hoof to shatter the ground on impact, or to create a fair-sized impact crater, or to shake the room like a small earthquake. “Ooh, so there is another one of you that can be a threat to me,” he chuckled. “How cute. And unexpected.” “Shut up!” Bluebolt swung her hoof wildly at his face, but he moved just to the side to avoid getting hit. She swung again; he dodged again. He didn’t seem willing to risk attacking her, not when her hoof could probably crush his skull, but he didn’t seem worried that she’d hit him in her rage. She was too unfocused, too unpracticed. Besides, Krystal was coming in from the side, horn down, to attempt to do the same thing to Bluebolt that he had done to Symphony. Rarity, back standing thanks to Sundial’s help, grabbed onto Krystal’s rear left hoof with her magic, causing the kirin to lose her balance. Sundial capitalized on the opportunity, slamming her hoof hard into the side of Krystal’s neck. The kirin’s scales absorbed most of the impact, and caused Sundial no small amount of pain, but it was enough to knock her away from Bluebolt and into the nearby wall instead. “Get ta Symphony!” Sundial shouted at Rarity as she tried to move towards the unconscious Flurry. “Get her out o’ here!” Rarity hesitated for half a second, panicked. “What? We can’t just leave—” “Symphony’s hurt, Rarity! And if that mare isn’t swearing up a storm and trying ta swing her swords around, it’s bad! Just get the hell here out o’ here! Go!” Rarity rushed as fast as she could over to Symphony, who by now had passed out. She took a deep breath and ignited her horn. Her magic was enough to drastically slow the bleeding, but Symphony would still need proper medical attention, and fast. “Is she gonna be okay, Rarity?” Bloom asked in a panic, hooves to her mouth. “Not unless we get her some help, darling, and soon. You’ll have to carry her since you’re the only one strong enough between the two of us, and I need to keep her stable.” “Got it,” Bloom said with a nod. Rarity helped her hoist Symphony onto her back. “We’ve got her, Sundial!” Rarity called back towards the two pegasi. “Come on!” “Just get going, dammit!” Sundial called as she kept herself just out of reach of Krystal’s horn. The kirin had returned to standing defensively over the one other pony they’d managed to subdue—Flurry—the instant Sundial had made an attempt to move over to her. “What about Flurry?!” “Bluebolt and I will get Flurry! Just go!” “But—” “Just get out o’ these damn tunnels and head ta the settlement in the west! Ask for Kwake, she can help! Just go west!” Rarity took a breath, nodded, and she and Apple Bloom left the way they’d come in as fast as they could manage. “Krystal, you’re letting them get away!” Kauldron snapped at his companion while still trying to avoid getting hit by Bluebolt’s wild swings and charges. “And I still have this other pegasus on me, if you haven’t noticed!” “I’m a little busy, Kauldron!” Krystal shouted back as Sundial kicked her in the jaw. Her scales weren’t as plentiful on her head, and Sundial had realized that this was the best place to strike. Kauldron seethed. “Stop being useless, Krystal! She’s just a weak pegasus! She’s not even armed!” Bluebolt roared and swung her hoof again, and this time it impacted the wall behind Kauldron as he dodged aside and became embedded in the rock. She struggled to get it unstuck. All the while, Kauldron was able to regain his bearings and stand up tall, giving the princess a cocky smile. “Oh no, are you stuck? Here, let me help you.” He dragged his hoof into the ground as he prepared to ram her, but Sundial came streaking across the room and slammed her front hooves straight into his temple. It was enough to knock him for a loop for all of a few seconds, enough time for her to get Bluebolt’s hoof out of the wall. “Ye really need ta practice more with this damn thing!” Sundial snapped. “This is twice I’m pulling ye out o’ some wall because ye’re too damned hotheaded! Think before ye act, lass!” Bluebolt grunted, apparently too angry to care much about Sundial’s lecture, and drew her hoof back, ready to smash it into Kauldron’s face while he was disoriented. Her hoof hit him square in the jaw, hard. But not hard enough. It only made him stumble again and briefly fall to his knees. Bluebolt eyed her hoof attachment. It wasn’t glowing anymore. “Oh… oh crap…” She tapped it multiple times, but nothing happened. “Crap crap crap. No! Not now! Not now, damn you!” Sundial raised an eyebrow. “What’s wrong?” “I’m out of juice. I haven’t been able to charge it in days, and… and I used too much by setting it on full power. Mom said to only use what I needed...” “Shite, are ye bucking serious right now?” Sundial paused, then clenched her teeth and let out a breath. “Ye need ta get out o’ here, lass. Ye’re not much help here now.” Bluebolt stared at her. “What?” “Go on! Catch up with the others. I’ll keep these two busy and get Flurry out, then I’ll be right behind ye. Go!” “But—” “Surprise!” exclaimed Kauldron, back to his hooves and full of pep and anger. Sundial shoved Bluebolt aside just as Kauldron came charging towards them, so he missed them both and slammed into the wall instead, shattering rock with ease. He didn’t seem all that bothered by the impact, merely shaking off the dirt and dust that had been released. “Go, dammit!” Sundial snapped at Bluebolt. Bluebolt hesitated, then flew off towards the exit as fast as she could fly. Krystal leapt at Bluebolt as she made her way out, but the pegasus was able to avoid the kirin without too much trouble, being airborne and all. Kauldron turned to face Sundial, a wide, toothy grin on his face. “Ooh, you’re a brave one, little mare. You think you can take us alone, do you?” She cracked her neck. “Aye, I do.” Sundial swung her hoof as hard as she could into his jaw. He turned out to be much tougher than Krystal was, and took the blow like a champ, even after a low-impact shot from Bluebolt’s amplifier. She was certain, based on the throbbing pain in her hoof, that she’d hurt herself more than she’d hurt him. “Is that all you’ve got, then?” he asked. “Kiss my arse, ye bawfaced—” Punch. “Shite-brained—” Punch. “Twat!” Punch. After the third hit, Kauldron cracked his neck and spit into the dirt of the cave floor. There was a little bit of blood mixed in with his saliva. He looked at the mess with a sadistic smile, then turned back to Sundial. “You… I like you,” he breathed. He raised his hoof up and struck her in the jaw as she’d done to him. Sundial hit the ground, grunting in pain. “She’s a feisty one, isn’t she?” Krystal chuckled as she trotted over. “Got a lot of fight in her. Shame we only got two—” “Because you let four of them get away!” Kauldron snapped, his eyes flaring with anger. “You stupid, worthless cow! I wanted the older unicorn to compliment my horn more.” Krystal shrunk back, afraid of him as he stepped towards her. “B-but—” Sundial, taking advantage of Krystal leaving her post over Flurry Heart, leapt up and flew towards the unconscious alicorn with all the speed she could muster, which was a lot. She managed to get to Flurry and start to lift her up onto her back, but that was about all she could manage before Kauldron, running as fast as she could fly, slammed into her temple—not with his horn, but with his hoof—before she could take off again. She hit the dirt like a sack of bricks, barely conscious and highly disoriented. Kauldron clicked his tongue, then glared at Krystal. “You idiot. You almost let her get away too!” Krystal withered under his gaze. “I… I’m sorry, my love, I thought—” “You’re not with me to think! I only keep you alive because you seem useful.” He stepped towards her, putting his hoof on her face, talking through tightly-clenched teeth. “You are useful, aren’t you, Krystal?” Krystal hastily nodded. “I… I am, Kauldron. I’m very useful.” “I certainly hope so. I don’t want to think I’d get more use out of you by snapping your horn off your skull, okay?” His fierce glare then softened immediately into a loving grin, and he kissed her roughly on the lips. “Now, let’s get these ponies home, hmm? Go on.” “Yes, let’s,” she replied with a nervous smile. Krystal stepped over to Sundial, who was trying to get up, pawing at the dirt as she tried to drag herself over to Flurry. Krystal clicked her tongue and shook her head, pressing her hoof onto Sundial’s. “You made Kauldron get angry with me, your mangy pony bitch,” she spat. “You’re gonna pay for that, just you wait.” Sundial looked up, a fierce scowl on her face. She spat blood up at the kirin as best she could, which was actually pretty well, splattering red all over Krystal’s lips and chin. She didn’t say anything else, just chuckled. Krystal sneered as she wiped the blood off her face with her hoof, then slammed the same hoof into Sundial’s face, knocking her out cold. ***** When Sundial woke up, her head was pounding. Her awareness of time was a little wonky, but she could still tell it was sometime after nightfall of the same day. It wasn’t an exact hour, no, just a general guess. As her eyes opened, she took stock of where she was as best she could, which was hard to do out of one good eye and one swollen eye and when she was sure she had a concussion. She was in a round, earthen chamber. A lantern of some sort hung from the wall and provided all of the dim light in the room. There was just one entrance, a small archway in the corner which was barred up like a makeshift cell, and she could just make out a lock. Her eyes widened. On the other side of the room across from her was Flurry Heart, chained to the wall, naked, unconscious. Sundial could just barely make out a small ring of black, crystalline metal around Flurry’s horn. The material was eerily similar to Kauldron and Krystal’s horns. Sundial made to move towards Flurry, but felt a shackle and chain keep her legs in place. She could also feel that she, too, was no longer in her clothes. In a panic, she looked around herself for any sign of her pocket watch, and frowned when she saw nothing of the sort. Out of options, she slumped to the ground, took a deep breath, and tried to wiggle out of the shackles. In the meantime, she stared at Flurry from across the room, hoping the younger mare would wake up soon. “She’s beautiful, isn’t she?” came Kauldron’s voice from nearby. Sundial bristled and attempted to turn her head, but found that her neck was shackled as well. The metal was so finely-crafted and shaped that she couldn’t even feel it until she tried to move. “Piss off,” she grunted. “I’ve never seen a creature like her before…” Kauldron breathed, taking a step forward so that Sundial could see his legs as he walked across the room. “A pony with the wings of a pegasus and the horn of a unicorn. Simply… beautiful…” Kauldron knelt beside Flurry, taking the time to stroke the unconscious mare’s wings with delicate, careful motions. “Don’t you bucking touch her!” Sundial spat, struggling against the chains and trying with all her might to get them to give. Kauldron turned towards Sundial with a polite smile. “You’ve got a lot of fire in you, girl. I like that. It’s so rare that your kind have such heart. Not like my kind.” She clenched her teeth. “Ye’re not a bloody kirin, ye sick bastard. Ye’re just some sick freak that looks like one.” He walked back across the room towards her. “Hmm… I admit I’m not like the others of my kind, no, at least not the ones you know. They are soft and weak, with horns made of impure metal and scales like clay. They are like… kindling. Nothing more than kindling to the fires of change.” Sundial raised an eyebrow. “The bloody hell are ye talking about?” Kauldron let out a wistful sigh, his face alight with wonder. He held Sundial’s face in his hooves so that she could see the twinkle in his eyes. The strain of her neck being pulled against the shackle and chains hurt, a lot more than Sundial thought it should, but she didn’t give him the satisfaction of hearing a complaint. “I had a vision many years ago. A vision of a world bathed in fire. A world where the strong would survive and the weak would burn into ash.” He gestured with his hoof towards the ground. “My clan worshipped the gods of fire long ago. I still do, of course, even though they’ve fallen dormant in recent years, because they will rise again. They are awakening.” “You… ye’re a bloody loony,” she muttered. “The volcanoes aren’t reigniting.” “Oh, but they are, my dear, they are. I have seen it. A fiery-winged kirin with a horn of pure molten rock spoke to me in my dreams. She told me how to awaken them. And so, that is what I do: I give my gods what they need.” He grinned wide. “And they need blood. Blood is their kindling, and I have fed their flames, and I will continue on until they ignite once more and bathe the world in fire.” Sundial shook her head as best she could, a chill running down her spine. “So that’s what this is, aye? Ye lure ponies down here ta the caves and ye… ye what, kill them? Ta appease yer ‘fire gods’?” “I don’t kill them, no, I just feed them to the volcano,” Kauldron said with a wider grin than before, if that was possible. “Even gods must eat, you see. But the gods do not like the meat of dead creatures. They prefer the meat of the living. Their screams are as much food as their souls, and their flesh, and their blood.” “So what’re doin’ ta us, then? Why are we chained up?” Kauldron ran his hoof down her cheek, a soft, caring gesture that had the opposite effect it should have had. “I must season you for the coming meal. I must tenderize the meat.” A groan came from the other side of the room as Flurry stirred. “The beauty wakes!” Kauldron cooed, leaving Sundial immediately to trot over to the waking alicorn. She was certain he didn’t know exactly what she was, but she was horribly worried by his sudden fascination. Flurry’s eyes shot open in a panic, and she glanced around to get her bearings. “Where… where am I?” She noticed Sundial opposite her, chained and badly injured. “Sundial! Are you okay?” “Don’t worry about me, lass,” Sundial grunted. “I’m alright, aye?” “You’re so… beautiful…” Kauldron said, approaching Flurry and resting his hoof on her cheek. She tried to recoil, but couldn’t. “I’ve never seen a creature like you before, my pet. I don’t think I have the words to describe just what luster I see before me.” Flurry drew away from him as best she could and tried to light her horn up to cast a spell. Her horn didn’t even glow, its light drained instantly into the black ring at the base of her horn. She went into a panic. “What’s going on? Why can’t I use my magic? What did you do?!” she yelled, struggling against the chains binding her. Kauldron lazily fiddled with the ring on her horn. “Kirin horns of different tribes do different things, you know? Take the tribe that lives in the settlement. Their horns are impure, and so lack the potential for much more than healing. A simple touch of their horns can heal even some of the most grievous of wounds. “As for my clan, our horns absorb magic. No manner of magic, no matter how strong and no matter how subtle, can affect our horns.” He smiled and briefly touched his horn to hers. She hissed in pain. “I’ve found that it also hurts unicorns when our horns touch theirs. The pain is so unbearable that even a second or two is enough to knock one of them unconscious.” “That’s what you did to me? Drained my magic?” Kauldron scoffed. “Me? I did no such thing. Krystal did. If I had known that you were such a gorgeous thing, I would have never let her touch you. But it’s okay, my sweet… you belong to me now.” “G-get away from me!” “To answer your question, it was only temporary, just enough to disable you. You’ll find your magic works perfectly fine, if not for that ring upon your horn,” Kauldron said with a happy laugh. “It took the horns of ten of my kin, melted down and forged into that ring, to give it the purity and strength to do what one of us can do alive without killing unicorns in the process.” “Wh-what?” “Hmm? Oh, yes, I had to make the ring that way so that I could keep prisoners. It’s all very tedious, you understand, to have to watch a unicorn constantly to keep them from escaping. The ring you have there gives me the freedom to leave if I wish without worry that you’ll be able to do anything while I’m gone. “But worry not, beautiful, I’ll be back in the morning to attend to the two of you. It’s late now, though, and I really must get some sleep. We’ve got a busy day ahead of us. Besides, I’ve kept Krystal waiting long enough. She gets ornery when, well...” He gave a slight chuckle, and turned towards Sundial. “Let’s say that when she gets angry, she gets jealous. And when she gets jealous, she gets violent. Violent with other mares like you.” He briefly turned back to Flurry and kissed her forehead. “Not you, though. She’s not allowed to touch you, my pet.” He then simply chuckled and shook his head. And with that, he stood up and left, not another word spoken. The metal gate into the room slammed closed, and a key turned loudly in the lock. Flurry hung her head, tears running down her face. “Sundial… are we going to be okay?” Sundial stared at Flurry, a determined look on her face. “Flurry, look at me. Look at me, aye?” Flurry looked, and saw Sundial’s determination. “Don’t ye worry yerself, lass. I’ll get us out o’ this, just ye wait and see. I promise ye, ye’ll be okay.” Flurry gave a weak, trusting nod. Sundial could only think about how she was going to do anything of the sort considering how impossible it seemed, but she wasn’t going to tell Flurry that and make her worry. She was worried enough as it was.